One of Santana's many successful collaborations on his seminal rebirth album, Supernatural, was with one of the most popular bands in the Latino market: Mana.

Due partially to the fact that the lyrics are in Spanish, Corazon Espinado didn't have the success in the English-speaking world that "Smooth" did. However, in the Spanish-speaking countries, it became a huge hit, all but eclipsing the other songs on the album.

Written by Carlos Santana and Fher Oliver, Mana's founder and lead singer, Corazon Espinado is actually more of a classic Latin song than Smooth. Starting off with a tradtional "montuno" on the piano (an arpeggiated, syncopated chordal pattern), Corazon Espinado maintains the same progression throughout all the verses and choruses: i - iv - V - iv, modulating only once, in the bridge.

As in Smooth, Carlos floats over the top with riffs that mix the Aeolian mode (natural minor) and Harmonic minor (raised 7th tone). In fact, he references Smooth in a few of the licks he plays. In another appropriate gesture, he borrows from the main guitar hook in Eric Clapton's Layla! Santana has always been a master of throwing in signature riffs from other songs.

Although its chord progression, melody and arrangement are simpler than Smooth, Corazon Espinado is undeniably hooky, and drawing as it does on traditional Latin music elements, its status in the Latin music world is well deserved. Not surprisingly, it won the "Record of the Year" and "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group" at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards.